1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storing and carrying a human transporter device. More particularly the present invention relates to a storage rack for carrying a human transporter device where the storage rack is attached to a vehicle. Further the invention relates to a storage rack for a human transporter that allows the human transporter to be easily loaded and unloaded from the storage rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
USPS mail carriers deliver mail to homes and businesses. Some carriers use a vehicle, referred to in the Postal Service as a Carrier Route Vehicle, to transport mail along their designated route. A common practice is for a mail carrier to load presorted mail into a satchel and walk to each address along the route while dropping off mail at those addresses. The mail is sorted in a sequence so that the carrier typically walks from the carrier route vehicle and loops around returning to the vehicle while delivering mail. The mail carrier will reload the satchel and repeat the delivery process until the mail for the area surrounding the vehicle has been delivered. This is referred to as a park and loop route.
New technology has recently been developed which may allow greater efficiency and flexibility with the park and loop delivery system. There has been developed a human transporter that can transport humans in areas typically used for pedestrian traffic. The human transporter also can carry its human passenger over uneven terrain. Such a human transporter is generally described as being a self-balancing scooter. The human transporter is motorized so that its human passenger is carried under the energy of the transporter. Further the human transporter accepts control commands by its human operator so that it can follow curves and changes in direction. One such human transporter now in use by the Postal Service is offered under the commercial name SEGWAY, also called the SEGWAY human transporter. Several U.S. Patents have been issued related to the SEGWAY human transporter. These include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,367,817; 6,357,544; 6,302,230; and No. 5,971,091.
The use of such a human transporter provides several advantages over the traditional method of walking a park and loop route. In the first instance a human transporter lessens the degree of fatigue experienced by a mail carrier. Particularly in the latter part of the route, or later in the workday, whereas a mail carrier operating on foot will often experience a slowdown in performance due to fatigue, the human transporter can assist the mail carrier to continue working at a desired speed of delivery. In addition, the human transporter allows the mail carrier to increase his or her carrying capacity, thereby increasing the loop size. Carrying capacity can be improved by saddling the mailpouch or satchel on the human transporter. Such an increase in carrying capacity and loop size will require fewer return trips by the mail carrier to the vehicle. Further, the human transporter allows a mail carrier to make diversions from the loop at a quicker and more efficient pace. Thus the use of a human transporter in the park and loop mail delivery system offers increased efficiency to the Postal Service.
Given the efficiencies to be gained through the use of the SEGWAY human transporter, the U.S. Postal Service is purchasing several such devices. Segway human transporters are now in use by the Postal Service.
A human transporter such as the SEGWAY device will itself be transported by the mail carrier's carrier route vehicle. In this way the human transporter will accompany the mail carrier as he or she makes various stops for deliveries along a given route. However, the carrier route vehicle was not previously designed for the function of carrying the SEGWAY human transporter. Thus it is necessary to modify the carrier route vehicle to enable it to transport a SEGWAY human transporter.
Thus it would be desirable to provide a human transporter storage rack to be attached to a vehicle. It would be further desired that the human transporter storage rack be designed for attachment to the carrier route vehicle to be used by mail carriers of the Postal Service.
A SEGWAY human transporter is itself a heavy device; and it is not easily lifted or carried by a human being. In February 2003, the Segway human transporter was listed as weighing 83 lbs. Thus the storage rack should also provide a means whereby a human transporter can be loaded onto and unloaded from the carrier route vehicle. However, at present no such storage rack system is available.
It would therefore also be desirable to provide a means for loading and unloading a human transporter onto a loading rack. Further it would be desired that a human transporter be loaded onto and unloaded from the storage rack under its own power.
As the loading rack will be affixed to a carrier route vehicle, it would be desired to provide a means to retrofit the carrier route vehicle to easily accept a human transporter storage rack. It would further be advantageous to provide a means for attaching the storage rack to the carrier route vehicle design that is now in use.
A human transporter such as the SEGWAY HT is an expensive piece of machinery. It is expected that a human transporter may present an inviting target for thieves. Thus, it is strongly desired that a storage rack carrying an HT into various public locations, on a daily basis, should have some method or means of locking and securing the HT in place. The locking mechanism and storage rack itself should be strong and robust in order to deter attempts at theft.
When used in the mail service, a single human operator may operate the human transporter and its storage rack system. Thus it would be desired that a storage system be simple in design and operation. Any movement of the storage system pieces or components should be such that a single human could easily operate them.